Rome, 7 October 2025 — The Vatican Press Office has announced the appointment of Fr. Pedro Alexandre Simões Gouveia Fernandes, C.S.Sp., of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), as Bishop of the Diocese of Portalegre-Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Born on 22 June 1969 in the Parish of Nossa Senhora do Amparo de Benfica, Lisbon, Fr. Pedro is the only child of a family deeply connected to the Spiritan tradition through the Charismatic Renewal and the League for the Strengthening of Missionary Action (LIAM). Notably, LIAM was founded by Bishop Agostinho de Moura, a fellow Spiritan who served as Bishop of Portalegre-Castelo Branco from 1952 to 1978.
After completing secondary school in 1987, Fr. Pedro began studying philosophy at the Catholic University of Lisbon. In 1988, he joined the Spiritan Formation House in Restelo, Lisbon, where he continued his theological studies while engaging in pastoral ministry among immigrant communities. He joined the novitiate in Silva, Barcelos, in 1991 and made his religious profession on 8 September 1992. He completed his theology degree in Lisbon with a thesis on Catholic-Anglican dialogue and later earned a master’s degree in Religious Studies in Paris.
His missionary internship as a deacon took place in Guinea-Bissau, at the Caió Mission, and he was ordained a priest on 21 July 1996 in his home parish of Benfica. He was then appointed to Mozambique, becoming one of the pioneers of the Spiritan mission in the Diocese of Nacala. In Netia, a vast and impoverished region still recovering from civil war, he helped develop pastoral and social outreach among scattered rural communities. Later, he led the foundation of a new mission in Itoculo, where he oversaw the construction of a residence, chapel, and pastoral center. With the support of the Spiritan Sisters, he established homes for adolescents from remote villages to enable their access to education. The mission also invested in the formation of lay leaders, embracing the Mozambican Episcopal Conference’s vision of a “ministerial Church.”
After years of missionary service in Mozambique, Fr. Pedro returned to Portugal and assumed leadership of the International Spiritan Formation House in Porto, welcoming young Spiritans from around the world. He became actively involved in youth ministry through Jovens Sem Fronteiras (JSF) and supported the formation of future priests in the Diocese of Porto. Prior to this assignment, he completed a course in Formation of Formators in Rome.
From 2012 to 2018, he served as First Assistant to the Provincial Superior, coordinating Spiritan formation. In 2018, he was elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Portugal, a role he held until 2024. During this time, he participated in two General Chapters (2012 and 2021, both in Tanzania), served as Moderator of the Enlarged General Council in Rome (2016), and was Vice-President of the Conference of Religious of Portugal (CIRP), participating in the Plenary Assemblies of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP).
Renowned for his deep spirituality and life of prayer, Fr. Pedro has devoted himself wholeheartedly to his Confreres and to the many expressions of the Spiritan Family, including Lay Associates, Fraternities, Volunteers, and movements such as LIAM, JSF, MOMIP, and ASES, as well as institutions like CEPAC, Anima Una, and Sol Sem Fronteiras.
Following six years of provincial leadership, he returned to the simplicity of community life and currently serves as administrator of the Spiritan Community of Estrela in Lisbon, continuing his work as a missionary animator.
The Superior General, Fr. Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp., together with his Council and the entire Generalate community, express sincere gratitude for Fr. Pedro’s generous service to the mission and we assure him of our prayers and support as he embraces this new pastoral responsibility.
